The growing number of funds, tools, mechanisms and markets helping organizations, investors and the public put their money where their mouth is to drive sustainable change
As ever, it is the most vulnerable people around the world who suffer greatest from slow growth, rising inflation, and the energy and food system disruptions stemming from the war in Ukraine. Bridging the finance divide, while ensuring that resources catalyze the necessary transformations, will be key for putting the SDGs back within reach. Read More...
Apple, Netflix, Xylem and others are putting corporate cash to work in financially underserved communities by moving money to CDFIs, LID credit unions and MDIs throughout the US. Read More...
While the announcement from the world’s largest asset manager could potentially have significant influence on lowering global emissions, BlackRock’s passive approach is a missed opportunity to actively drive the transition to a low-carbon, net-zero economy. Read More...
The first national Black farmer co-op since the Reconstruction era is on a mission to revive and support Black farmers — which have dwindled to a mere 1.4% of farmers in the US — and cultivate a national network of growers of regeneratively farmed hemp. Read More...
While more companies are reporting through CDP every year, many still do not disclose enough data on their environmental impact. Non-disclosure will not be an option for many companies for much longer, with a series of mandatory environmental disclosure requirements coming this year around the world. Read More...
Fossil fuels and other climate-risky endeavors are still big money for banks; and even if consumers find their bank continues to fund them, it’s something they often feel powerless to change. Read More...
MDIs are trusted providers for communities of color and include some of the oldest minority-owned US banks; they play a unique role in increasing access to financial services for underserved populations. Read More...
The rise of company-specific materiality assessments will require companies to undertake substantial organizational and behavioral adjustments, reduce their reliance on standardized metrics, and incent investors to dig more deeply into the inner workings of individual portfolio companies. Read More...
Bank.Green’s new Alliance, made up of 8 founding members, aims to fuel the global movement towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient financial sector. Read More...
Through a series of multi-year partnerships with business-focused nonprofits, Umpqua aims to close the opportunity gap in access to capital, resources, and expertise for traditionally underserved innovators. Read More...
The multi-year, multimillion-dollar Indigenous Earth Fund initiative will support systemic and policy-change efforts centered around Indigenous leaders and environmental solutions. Read More...
By unleashing the corporate balance sheet, finance teams can provide resources to nurture local entrepreneurial talent, improve climate resilience and build housing — all with minimal risk. Read More...
In the textile industry, one area ripe for investment is making wet processing more sustainable. As with most pots of gold, it’s not without its challenges — but data indicate that the returns are well worth the effort. Investors keen to seize this nascent opportunity should consider three primary steps. Read More...
Estimating an investment opportunity of $1 trillion, a new Fashion for Good-Apparel Impact Institute report breaks down the funding needed by solution category and identifies the types of funders best placed to take advantage of the opportunity and benefit from the positive returns. Read More...
HSBC announces its thermal coal phase-out plan on the same day as a Sierra Club-Center for American Progress report calls out Wall Street’s outsized contribution to the climate crisis. Can the necessary sea change be made in time to avoid disaster? Read More...
Disclosure and data certainly are important, but they are not sufficient to create a more equitable and sustainable world. Companies that take a narrow or compliance-focused approach to ESG are missing the forest for the trees. Read More...
With so little time left, we must prepare for the colossal climate challenges yet to come. We hope our approach to public-private blended finance will inspire other multinationals, investors and climate funds to support protective measures that ensure the climate resilience of their supply chains and the global economy. Read More...
Simply returning profits to investors is no longer a good enough measure of success. If any stakeholder does not see benefits in the design of a capital project, then gaining support is unlikely. Is your organization ready for multi-stakeholder investment and design? Read More...
In this excerpt from his bestselling book, "Decolonizing Wealth," award-winning author and philanthropic advisor Edgar Villanueva provides a glimpse into how money can help to disrupt some of the deep, systemic inequities in this country, instead of continuing to feed them. Read More...
Carbon credits, which promise an impact measured to a specific quantity of CO2, may not be the most efficient instrument in constantly climate-changing world. But a new approach can make carbon markets fit-for-purpose moving forward. Here are some key premises for business to finance forests and broader climate action in a new era. Read More...